Damage limitation was Villa’s plan from the first minute – and City didn’t seem to have an answer with slow build-up play and a lack of cut and thrust where it mattered, despite having 80 per cent of the first-half possession.

Wilfried Bony joined Aguero in what looked like a dangerous double act but Bony had a nightmare game, squandering everything which came his way.

Aguero, naturally, looked the more potent force and groaned when his goalbound effort was brilliantly tipped over the bar one-handed by Villa keeper Brad Guzan.

Then came Bony’s biggest blunder in the 13th minute. Gael Clichy laid the ball on a plate but the burly striker side-footed wide with the empty goal staring him in the face.

Aguero was lurking with intent and whipped in a shot which Guzan pushed away and then, after playing a one-two with Bony, the Argentine hitman blasted another shot just wide.

Villa then mounted a rare attack and after a goalmouth scramble Jordan Ayew picked up the pieces and kept his composure to drill a shot towards the bottom corner – only for the previously untroubled Joe Hart to produce a save.

You could feel the tension mounting among the home fans but then the floodgates opened. Toure broke the deadlock in the 48th minute with a strike of simple, pure perfection.